Is Dannon Activia Good for You?

by
SARA IPATENCO Last Updated: Jul 02, 2015

Sara Ipatenco

Sara Ipatenco has taught writing, health and nutrition. She started writing in 2007 and has been published in Teaching Tolerance magazine. Ipatenco holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education, both from the University of Denver.

Two cups of yogurt.Photo Credit IngridsI/iStock/Getty Images

Yogurt is a nutritious way to add calcium and protein to your diet. The Dannon Activia line boasts the inclusion of probiotics, good bacteria that normally live in your digestive system. Aside from the probiotics in Dannon Activia, like all yogurt, it also supplies several key vitamins and minerals, though certain flavors of the brand can also be high in sugar.

Dannon Activia Basics

A serving of Dannon Activia cherry yogurt contains 110 calories and 2 grams of fat, of which 1 gram is saturated. Limiting your intake of saturated fat is a smart way to protect the health of your heart, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. You'll also get 4 grams of protein in that serving of Activia cherry yogurt, 9 percent of the 46 grams of protein women need every day and 7 percent of the 56 grams men require. The other flavors, including prune, strawberry banana, peach and vanilla, contain the same amount of calories, fat and protein, while the blueberry flavor contains 120 calories.

Bone-Building Power

A serving of any flavor of Activia yogurt supplies 15 percent of the 1,000 milligrams of calcium you need on a daily basis, or 150 milligrams of calcium. Getting plenty of calcium protects your bones and can reduce your risk of osteoporosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That same serving of Activia yogurt also delivers 15 percent of your daily vitamin D requirement. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and also provides protection to your cells, which might lower your risk of cancer, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Powerful Probiotics

One of the primary nutrition claims made by the Dannon company about the Activia line of yogurt is the beneficial probiotics they contain. The yogurts are made with a probiotic culture called Bifidus regularis, which can help keep your digestive system working properly. The Harvard Medical School notes that probiotics might help ward off certain health problems and might also help treat gastrointestinal conditions such as Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Probiotics might also help treat diarrhea and can replenish your supply of good bacteria while you're taking antibiotics, Harvard Medical School reports.

Including Dannon Activia in Your Diet

Dannon Activia contains sugar, some of it naturally occurring, but most of it added. The vanilla and cherry flavors, for example, contain 17 grams of sugar per serving. Blueberry contains 19 grams of sugar, and the mixed berry has 18 grams. Choosing Activia Light is one way to overcome this drawback, because these flavors contain no added sugar. Other ways to boost the nutritional value of your Activia yogurt are to choose a Greek variety, which has twice as much protein as the original, or the Activia Fiber, which contains about 3 grams of fiber per serving.